ravine
pronunciation
How to pronounce ravine in British English:
UK [rəˈvi:n]
How to pronounce ravine in American English:
US [rəˈvin]
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- Noun:
- a deep narrow steep-sided valley (especially one formed by running water)
Word Origin
- ravine
- ravine: [15] Ravine and the now seldom encountered rapine ‘plunder’ [15] are essentially the same word. Both come ultimately from Latin rapīna ‘plunder’, a derivative of rapere ‘seize by force’ (from which English gets rape, rapid, rapture, ravenous, etc). This passed directly into English via Old French as rapine, but a variant Old French form also developed, ravine, whose meaning appears to have been influenced by Latin rapidus ‘rapid’.It denoted ‘violent rush, impetus’ – which is how it was used in its brief and very spasmodic career in Middle English. It did not become firmly established as an English word until the 19th century, when it was reborrowed from French in the sense ‘gorge’ – originally as carved out by a ‘violent rush’ or torrent of water.=> rape, rapine, rapture
- ravine (n.)
- 1760, "deep gorge," from French ravin "a gully" (1680s, from Old French raviner "to pillage, sweep down, cascade"), and from French ravine "violent rush of water, gully worn by a torrent," from Old French ravine "violent rush of water, waterfall; avalanche; robbery, rapine," both ultimately from Latin rapina "act of robbery, plundering" (see rapine); sense influenced by Latin rapidus "rapid." Middle English ravine meant "booty, plunder, robbery" from c. 1350-1500. Compare ravening.
Example
- 1. Had it fallen into the ravine it would have almost certainly killed crew and passengers .
- 2. Then we dropped , hit the bottom of what must have been a ravine and began sliding .
- 3. Soon we reached a ravine spanned by a tremendous rope bridge .
- 4. So they don 't name the ravine after her .
- 5. My horse jumped across the deep ravine , but all the others balked .